The application claims priority to German Patent Application No. 20 2005 007 475.6, which was filed May 11, 2005.
The invention relates to a guide rail for a sliding roof system in a motor vehicle that includes a first rail element, a second rail element rigidly connected with the first rail element, and at least one guide track that extends without interruption over the first and the second rail elements. A sliding element of a sliding carriage is guided in the guide track, and is connected with a cover piece.
A guide rail 10′, known from the prior art, is illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown, a guide track 16′ which, when viewed in a longitudinal direction L of the guide rail 10′, includes an initial section running obliquely upwards that serves to initially raise a cover piece 6′. The cover piece 6′ is guided in the guide track 16′ via a sliding carriage 20′ with a sliding element 18′ arranged thereon when the cover piece 6′ is moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The guide track 16′ is then configured to have a section substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the guide rail (and hence of the vehicle). To make production simpler, this guide rail 10′ is constructed in two parts by having a first rail element 12′ in a region of the initial section running obliquely upwards, and a second rail element 14′, directly adjoining the first rail element 12′, in a region of the section that runs in a straight line and parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the guide rail.
One disadvantage with this configuration is that when the cover piece 6′ is moved rearwardly, the sliding element has to travel over all abutment edges of an abutment point between the first rail element 12′ and the second rail element 14′ simultaneously, which results in an increased wearing of the sliding element and, in addition, an undesired noise generation.
The subject invention provides a guide rail for a sliding roof system in a motor vehicle that is distinguished by a smaller amount of wear, and hence a longer lifespan of the sliding element, and which also has a distinctly lower level of noise generation.